Family of Murdered Students Seek Justice

By Samuel Akapule

The family of Nashiru Jibril, a-17-year-old student of the Sandema Senior High Technical School, in the Upper East Region, who was shot dead during students rioting, has demanded immediate apprehension and prosecution of the policeman who caused the death.

The traumatised family members at a press conference held on Saturday at Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District, said that the policeman, who was supposed to protect members of the public from harm acted unprofessionally.

The family members, therefore, called for the arrest of the policeman, who is alleged to have shot the deceased, as well as the Builsa North District Police Commander.

It would be recalled that on July 16, 2019, this year, the student was allegedly shot dead by a policeman when the police tried to quell disturbances at the school.

The incident led to one other female student sustaining injuries, but was treated and discharged at the Sandema Hospital.

The situation led to a two-week closure of the school after a District Security Committee (DISEC) meeting was held.

The family indicated that justice has not been served after the unfortunate demise of their relative and that a committee that was set up to investigate the cause of the incident had not informed them (the family members) about its findings.

"The cause of the death has been established through an autopsy conducted at the Tamale Teaching Hospital on July 18, 2019, that the boy died through gunshot wounds on his chest," Mr Mamudu Adams, spokesperson for the deceased said.

The family members said the action and conduct of the police was gross disregard for the fundamental human rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

"What is even worrying to the entire family is that since the unfortunate incident occurred apparently due to the negligence of the police, the family has been waiting anxiously for the police to visit or at least contact the family to explain the circumstances leading to the boy's death, but to no avail," he said.

Mr Adams asked the Ghana Police Service to immediately release a "comprehensive report explaining the circumstances leading to the death and the police involvement in the killing of Master Jibril".

"The family wishes to call on the police and other law enforcement agencies, and the court to view this case with the utmost seriousness and urgency it deserves to ensure that justice is done for our relative," he stressed.

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